This is a useful feature in a post-pandemic India as well, where a lot of shops are crowded on a busy day, and the shopkeeper might not have time to attend you. The company says that thousands of brick and mortar stores have already signed up with for the Smart Stores program. In January, when Jeff Bezos visited India, members of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), a union of small traders, held protests against the company for its predatory pricing practices. Since then, the ecommerce giant has tried to make mends with these traders. In April, it allowed local shops to sell groceries online.